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One of my great pleasures of programming at Reelworld was working alongside film programmer and cinematographer Reza Sameni, who passed away earlier this year.
As an immigrant to Canada, he fiercely advocated for the communities Reelworld spotlights. To any up-and-coming filmmaker ever wondering if anyone would remember your work across your first or second short, Reza would, and he would champion you.
At Reelworld, we see many films that centre home and family; filmmakers working to understand their intersection with the outside world and the people and places that shaped them culturally. It's a very competitive category. Reza believed this program was central to Reelworld's ethos, and so we offer these seven films, our Home and Family program, in honour of his lasting contribution to Reelworld.
These films reflect the kinds of films Reza would adore, and we know you will love them too.
Programmer, Aisha Evelyna
Sonia Honey
Ameesha Joshi
12:00
Canada
Ontario
Canadian Premiere
On a single, transformative day, a middle-aged actress navigates the blurred lines between reel and reality, unearthing buried truths about identity, ageing, and the silent labour of care in a world that constantly rewrites her relevance.
Kasra
Faran Moradi
6:30
Canada
Ontario
World Premiere
When a disgruntled Iranian-Canadian mama's boy and his deadbeat mom embark on a heist to alleviate family debts, tensions boil over between them mid-robbery.
Sitting Bird
Athena Han
17:00
Canada
British Columbia
Ontario Premiere
After immigrating to Canada, Ming becomes a stay-at-home father while his career-driven wife, Fei, continues to pursue her dream as a First Officer in China. Struggling with the societal pressure as an unemployed man and a growing sense of inadequacy in his family, Ming one day sees a lost flamingo named José. He decides to rescue the bird.
One Last Walk
Andrea Bang & Diana Bang
10:52
Canada
British Columbia
Ontario Premiere
Two lonely grandmas who don't speak the same language connect on their daily walks. Today is their last walk before one of them has to fly back home to Korea.
Never Sleep
Ayo Tsalithaba
13:40
Canada
Ontario
World Premiere
Following the sudden death of their father, a restless teen in the midst of a queer self-discovery bonds with their estranged aunt over their fraught relationships with death, loss and familial responsibility.
Diamond Belly
Kyle D'Odorico
10:00
Canada
Ontario
Ontario Premiere
Alex's grandfather is dying of stomach cancer. When the older man starts claiming those aren't tumours in his belly but pilfered diamonds from a long-forgotten heist in the old country, family secrets and myths collide as Alex grapples with her newfound inheritance resting in a dying man's stomach.
The Last Wish
Kimberley Ann Surin
15:50
Canada
Quebec
Ontario Premiere
When an unsettling visitor disrupts her fragile new life, a 70-year-old widow is compelled to face her greatest fear, water, forcing her into a battle with both her past and her own mortality.
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